Hydrocarbon-furnace



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HYDROARBON PURNACB.

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o. D. G11-VIS. g HYDROCARBON FURNAGE.. No. 288,477. Patented Nov. 13, M383.

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Y 0. D. ORVIS.

HYDROGARBON FURNAGE.

Patented Nov. 13, 1883.

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@.D. ORVIS.

HYDROGARBON PURNAGE.

No.I 288,477. I Patented NOV. 13, 1883. l

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ORLANDID. oRvIs, oF CHICA-Go, ILLINOIS.

HYDROCARBON-FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 288,477, dated November 13, 1883.

Application led May 25,1883. (No modci.) 4

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORLAND D. QRvIs, a citizen of the United States, residing in Ghieago,county of Cook, and State of Illiuois,have

invented certain new and useful Improvements in HydrocarbonFurnaces, of which the fol-` lowing is a specification. I

This invention relates to improvements in hydrocarbon-furnaces, in which hydrocarbons have been injected into the nre-chamber by Ineans of a steam-jet, or the combined force of asteam-jetand force-pun1p,inconjunctionwith` air, said fire-chamber containing a permanent or temporary bed of coal or other solid carbonaceous fuel. y. v I

The objection to furnaces in which hydro-V carbons have been `heretofore employed in connection With a permanent bed of fuel are I that steam is principally relied on for vaporizing the hydrocarbons and forcing Itheminto I the fire-chamber, when, as a matterof fact, it

is capable of vaporizing only their very lightest portions, and of forcing the heavier and liquid portions but slightly in advance of the nozzle," and as a resultthese `heavierand liquid portions are thrown or drip down upon the bed of fuel, so that even such as are not totally lost by escaping through the grate-bars into the ash-pit are not fully utilized, owing to their partial ignition, in consequence of which they g produce a dense smoke and other noxious unignited gases. Vithout regarding the advantages of spreading the combined jet over the fire-chamber, these objections are increased by a failure to combine proper proportions of air and steam with the hydrocarbons, and to iniect into the fire-chamber even so much of the jet as is confined with sufcient rapidity and force to obtain the best results. Feeding hydrocarbons by means of the combined force of steam and a force-pump along continuous and graduallydescending tortuous passages to outlets of a generator arranged in a fire-chamber is lia-ble to result in the' 'escape of liquid portions of the hydrocarbons; and the attempt to combine heated air with sucha stream near its point of exit cannot produce the best results, for the reason that a thorough admiXture is impossible, and that the air is so rarefied as to prevent the proper proportion of oxygen with the steam andfhydrocarbon, eveniif combined. Besides, such construction does not contemplate the use of a permanent bed of fuel, and effectuallyprevents it by reason of the tortuous-passaged generator occupying a substantial portion of the hre-chamber. `In Y another instance a retort arranged upon the outside of a furnace and heated by means of a steam-jacket in conjunction with a jet of steam I entering the retort with the oil has been em- 6o provided Whichrequire a special construction 7c V `0f the furnace itself; but to avoid this is one of the principal objects of myinvention,whieh is attainedby providing attachments Which may be secured upon any furnace in Which coal orothercarbonaceous fuel `is employed for supplying in the requisite proportions one or more jets of hydrocarbon, steam, and air combined.

Hydrocarbons-such, for instance, as crude petroleum-contain about eightyfour per 8o cent. carbon, fourteen per cent. hydrogen,`and two per cent. oxygen, and the advantages of their employment as fuel in furnaces may be understoodbyacomparison of their heating effect due to the excess of carbon over distilled oils, in which there is less carbon and more hydrogen, and when practical experiments have demonstrated that the calorific power of these distillates, which containI7 1.7 per cent. carbon and 28.2 hydrogen, would equal fifteen 9o thousand four hundred and sixty heat units, or an evaporative effect of about twenty-eight against 14. 9 for the best coal. Crude petroleum conducted continuously into a red-h ot retort is decomposed into a rich gas, the main constituents of which are light and heavy carbureted hydrogens, which, burned with the active constituents of air, is attended with the evolution of great heat. Now, by passing a current of air of proper proportions over or through these Ioo carbureted hydrogens, the air becomes so saturated with the vapors as to form a highly-iniiammable mixture, which readily combines l F, the apex of which projects into the air-supwith the rising volatile hydrocarbons inthe furnace, producing a perfect ignition of all the gases of the fuel employed. But to render the use of hydrocarbon liquids successful in a furnace, it is requisite not only that such liquids should be completely vaporized, but the vapors raised to a Very high degree of heat and rapidly combined with proper proportions of air and the hydrogen of steam prior to entering the fire-chamber, and when so combined fully expanded and forcibyinjected into the fire-chamber in such a manner as to be spread in a thin sheet over and in close proximity to the bed of burning fuel therein. these results are the objects of my invention, other objects being to provide certain details of construction, hereinafter described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective of a front end of a steam-boiler furnace, and alsoasimilar view of a hydrocarbon-reservoir and its connection with a furnace embodying my invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged perspective of the hydrocarbon-reservoir,- Fig. 3, a side elevation of an enlarged detail of the same; Fig. 4, a vertical detail of the furnace, showing the steam and air injector and hydrocarbon-retort in side elevation; Fig. 5, a similar view on an enlarged scale; Fig. 6, a section of the retort detached; Fig. 7, a top plan view of the retort;

Fig. 8, a similar view of a modified form ofl bonaceous fuel, and arranged in a plane below a bridge-wall, in the rear of which is a combustion-chamber, the usual doors being provided for access to the fire-chamber and ashpit, as indicated by Figs. l, 4, and 5, but is also adapted to be used in connection with locomotive or marine boilers, or any construction of furnace provided with a combustion or :lire chamber, whether or not hydrocarbons are burned to the exclusion of solid fuel.

In carrying out my invention the devices preferably employed for injecting the steam and air are similar to those shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 241,153, granted me May 10, 1881, and herein best shown in Fig. 5, in which C represents an inlet-pipe extending through the front wall in a horizontal plane above the grate-bars, and preferably just above a bed of burning fuel, and has tapped upon its outer and projecting end a globe "vacuum-chamber, D, opening' into and extending in avertical line from which is an air-supply pipe, E, the mouth of which pipe maybe partially closed by a hollow cone,

To attain the inflowing air. 1 secured in a stem of suitable construction, and

ply pipe, and serves to diminishv the friction and hence the :noise of the inrushing air.

Globe D is preferably closed at its top by a removable cap, G, providing access to the globe for removing obstructions, and has projecting therein a steam-nozzle, H, arranged in a horizontal plane in line with the inlet-pipe, and extending beyond the center of the globe, and is connected with a steam-supply pipe, I, which preferably leads from the dome, where the steam is at its highest and dryest temperature in the boiler.

Between the globe and the furnace-wall is an oil-nozzle, J, which projects through the inlet-pipe C at a right angle to the steam-nozzle, and preferably so that as the oil escapes therefrom it will be in a plane with the steam.- jet, and as near thereto as practically consistent with attaining the best vaporizing effects of Y the steam and avoiding the chilling effects of The oil-nozzle is removably is tapped on an end plate supporting a glass tube, K, forming a sight-feed for the oil as it passes from a nozzle, L, removably seated in the upper plate of the glass tube, to the oilnozzle J, said nozzle L having its butt tapped in an oil-supply pipe, M, in which is a globe-v valve, N, of ordinary construction, adapted to 'cut off the supply of oil to the oil-nozzle J, and hence its iiow through the sight-tube. Any number of these combined steam, air, and hydrocarbon feeds may be arranged upon a furnace, and at any point or points desired,

`whether in front, at the side, or rear, or all,

as the exigencies of the furnace may require. These several feeds are supplied with steam from a single supply-pipe, b, by means of a head, c, and so, also, the several oil-nozzles are supplied by a head, d, connected with the several nozzles, suitable stop-cocks or valvessuch as valve N-being employed for cutting l off the supply of oil or steam to any one nozzle without obstructing the flow to one or more of the other nozzles, as desired, and in order to obtain steam at as high a temperature as possible, the supply-pipes b and c may be connected with a convolution of pipe arranged in the fire-chamber and incased in fire-clay, or in the walls thereof, as indicated by their position to the right of Fig. 1, and thereby vsuperheat the steam supplied to the feed.

The supply of oil is preferably furnished from aylindrical tank, O, supported upon suitable brackets elevated 'sufficiently to not IOO IIO

j the pipe e.

A reservoir constructed and arranged as above described is a convenient means for holding the oil-supply; but other means or constructions may be employed, as desired or adapted for the particular locality in which the furnace is employed.

So far as now described, means are provided for supplying the fire or combustion chamber with, as has 1 been `practically demonstrated, proper proportions of air and superheated steam, and also with aregulated supply of oil 5 but, as before intimated, steam is capable of vaporizing only the lighter portions of the oil or other hydrocarbons, and hence with this construction the heavier portions of the hydrocarbonswould be thrown into the furnace in a liquid form, and thereby result in a waste of the hydrocarbons, a dense smoke, and other unignited noxious gases, and a corresponding loss of heat. To avoid these objections, and to not only vaporize the` heavier portions of the hydrocarbons, but `to raise such vapors to a very high temperature and correspondingly expand them, I provide aretort, S, of peculiar construction, tapped upon the inner end of the supply-pipe C, and exposed to the heat of the fire or combustion chamber, which retort is the essential and important feature of my invention, the `main object of which is to inject into the iireor combustion chamber of a furnace a jet containing the proper proportions of steam, air, and hydrocarbon vapors at a high temperature with force and rapidity-a result not possible to attain without the employment of devices embodying my invention, though,

perhaps, `materially varying in structure and arrangement.

Retort S consists of an Voblong vessel made of iron, fire-clay, or other suitable material, closed at its extremities, and projecting more or less below the plane of the inlet-pipe, so as to form a receptacle of a depth `sufficient to y catch the liquid portions of the hydrocarbons gated slot, 7i,

as they are forced inwardly toward the furnace by the steam and air, and is provided on its outer face and toward its top with an elonforming an outlet for the combined jet. i

. The slot k is preferably straight and in a horizontal plane, but may be in the arc of a circle, and is of such dimensions that the jet will enter the furnace in a sheet, in which form it is bestadapted to be quickly and thoroughly ignited. y

As shown in Figs. 5 and G, the retort is enlarged at its upper end, in which enlargement the slot is made; but I do not limit myself to this special construction of the retort, although it has the advantage of providing an enlarged chamber for and adjacent the point of exit of the hydrocarbon vapors as they rise and are expanded in the retort. It will lalso be observed in Fig. 5 thatthe slot is in aplane above the center of the inlet; but it may be in the same plane, although the advantage of its elevated position is to effectually prevent the j* liquid hydrocarbon in the inlet-pipe being carried directly through the slot in the retort to the fire-chamber.

To remove obstructions from the retort a plug, Z, is removably secured inits bottom, and

to avoid any liability of the retort being burned out, owing to its.necessarily-exposed position in the furnace, it may be partially or wholly protected by fire-brick or other suit able covering, if desired.

Another form of device for vaporiziug the heavier portions of the hydrocarbons is sh own in Figs. 9 and l0, and consists of a nozzle, T, resembling inform the upper portion of the retort-that is to say, the nozzle is enlarged so as to form a receptacle for catching and vaporizing the liquid hydrocarbons, and achamber adapted to permit the expansion of the vapors thereof. These nozzles are adapted to be employed where hydrocarbons are used in small quantities, or when they consist only of lighter portions-such, for instance, as refined petroleumand when it is desirable to employ jets in numbers exceeding those designed to be employed with the retort; or they may be used in a furnace with retorts. In `other words, these nozzles embody my invention and pro.- duce the same results as retorts, only ina less degree, and serve to show the modiiications to which my invention isv subject without departing from the spirit thereof'.

Among the advantages of my invention, so far as relates to the retort, are that it may be attached to any ordinary furnace without materially obstructing the rechamber; that the heat ofthe furnace, when in operation, is always sufficient to heat the retort to the required degree; that'it is sure to catch all liquid portions of the hydrocarbons dripping from the inlet-pipe; that no hydrocarbons can `escape therefrom except in the form of a vapor at a very high temperature; and that it provides for a substantially direct feed of the combined jet into the. furnace, so that the force of the steam is fully utilized for forcing the jet into the furnace, and of effecting a rapid and effective combination of the required propertions of steam and air and hydrocarbon vapors before entering the furnace, to produce the best results.

By employing the retort in connection with my globe vacuum-chamber all of the advantages common to that device forsupplying air and steam serve to vrender the employment of the retort more effective-as, for instance, the continuous supply of a dense stream of pure air with a direct and given amount of steam, and the temperature of this air raised by the radiation of heat from the walls of the cham- IOO IIO

ber, in addition to that of steam, and directing this combined jet with all its force against the infiowing stream of hydrocarbon, are powerful auxiliaries to the functions of the retort in producing the best results; and, in fact, I am not aware of any other construction by which combustion so complete can be attained. Vhcther or not the retort is employed in connection with this particular construction, the gases are always greatly expanded in the retort before their escape, and in consequence of this expansion they are thrown by their own volition with an increased force into the fire-chamber, and are correspondingly and uniformly spread over its entire area; and in this connection it may be added that the retortis so effectual in its operation that no residuum of any kind remains therein, as has been demonstrated by actual experiment.

Having described my invention wh at I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The method of utilizing hydrocarbon liquids for heating purposes, the same consisting in forcing said liquid by means of steam into a retort heated bythe furnace, in which retort the hydrocarbons rise and escape only in a vaporous form to the fire-chamber, as hereinbefore set forth. Y

2. The method of utilizing` hydrocarbon liquids for heating purposes, the same consisting in forcing said liquid by and in conjunction with steam and air into a retort heated by the furnace, in which retort the hydrocarbons are vaporized and rise in their escape to the firechamber, substantially as described.

. 3. The method of utilizing hydrocarbon liquids for heating purposes, the same consisting in forcing said liquid by means of steam into a retort heated by the furnace, in which retort the hydrocarbon vapors rise and escape in a sheet-like form into the fire or combustion chamber, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a steam and air inlet pipe of a furnace, of a hydrocarbon-retort secured to the inner end of said pipe and projecting below the plane of the same, said retort being provided toward its upper end with an outlet for the escape of the hydrocarbon vapors generated therein, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a steam and air inlet pipe of a furnace, of a hydrocarbon-ie tort secured to the inner end thereof and projecting below the plane of said pipe, said retort being provided toward its upper end andv in a plane above the center of the inlet-pipe with an outlet for the escape of the hydrocarbon vapors, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the retort, the inlet pipe, the globe vacuum chamber, and means, substantially as described, for supplying steam and air to the same, of an oil-nozzle opening in the inlet-pipe at a point between said retort and chamber, and means for supplying the oil, all substantially as described.

ORLAND D. ORVIS.

lVitnesses:

JNO. G. ELLIOTT, W. XV. ELLIOTT. 

